Elmer

What Elmer does

Elmer (legal entity Elmer Dienstleistungs GmbH & Co KG, operating as Elmer Gruppe) is a German specialty wholesaler for Sanitär, Heizung, Klima (SHK — sanitary, heating, and climate) products, headquartered in Bottrop and operating since 1965. The company serves professional tradespeople (SHK Fachhandwerk) through a hybrid model: 90+ physical branch locations with pickup markets across Germany, eight regional wholly-owned sales companies (Zimmer und Kellermann, Menge, Schmitz Haustechnik, Tigges+Zepke, Reichwald, Bechem, Reinshagen & Schröder, Vetter + Engels) preserving local market identity, and the ELMER PRO B2B online shop providing access to over 400,000 articles with centralized document management. The company employs more than 1,600 people and is led by managing shareholders Armin Nowak and Bastian Hördemann.

The business combines third-party brand distribution (Geberit, Daikin, Fantini, Keuco) with a proprietary exclusive-brand portfolio (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, SCALIDO), the latter generating differentiated margin and brand equity — including a triple SCHÖNER WOHNEN BEST OF DESIGN-Award for SCALIDO products. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time wholesale product sales to professional customers at quote-based pricing (professional registration required via ELMER PRO), supplemented by consumer-facing bathroom design and installation services delivered through 40+ badpunkt exhibitions concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia. Inventory scale is a core operational feature: over 9 million articles are claimed to be immediately available for rapid delivery.

Structurally, Elmer is part of the HBG consortium of German SHK wholesalers, which provides collective industry scale while the company retains autonomous regional operations. The technology stack is conventional — an e-commerce portal, digital services, and pickup-market logistics — with no disclosed AI/ML, API platform, or proprietary data assets. Distribution rather than technology is the primary moat.

Name

Elmer

Legal name

Elmer Dienstleistungs GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://elmer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Elmer Gruppe is a leading German specialty wholesaler for sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products, serving professional tradespeople via 90+ branches, the ELMER PRO B2B portal, and proprietary exclusive brands, with a complementary consumer bathroom-exhibition network (badpunkt) in NRW.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bottrop

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Wholesale): Wholesale distribution of sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products to professional tradespeople through physical branches and online channels. Revenue generated from the sale of branded and exclusive-brand products.
2. Exclusive Brand Sales: Sales of proprietary exclusive brands including Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, and Scalido which offer premium price-performance ratio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Elmer Gruppe is a leading German SHK (Sanitär, Heizung, Klima) specialist wholesaler that distributes sanitary, heating, and climate products to professional tradespeople through 90+ physical branch locations with pickup markets and the ELMER PRO B2B online shop (400,000+ articles). The group also serves end consumers via 40+ badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms in NRW, complemented by proprietary exclusive brands (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, Scalido).

Product overview

Elmer Gruppe is a B2B wholesale distributor for Sanitär, Heizung, Klima (plumbing, heating, air conditioning) operating with a multi-component offering. The core product is the ELMER PRO professional online shop enabling trade professionals to order from over 400,000 articles. Supporting this are over 90 physical locations with pickup markets and more than 40 badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms offering consultation and planning services. The company also offers an exclusive brand portfolio including Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, and Scalido, alongside complementary digital services. This structure combines physical wholesale distribution with e-commerce capabilities and proprietary branded products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sanibel: Exclusive brand with TOP price-performance ratio
• Comfort by Sanibel
• 4YOU
• Arto
• SCALIDO
• badpunkt
• ELMER PRO

Products and services

• ELMER PRO Professional Online Shop

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9 million articles immediately available for fast, reliable delivery
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GeberitminorOthersBrand partnership - Geberit products available through Elmer Gruppe distribution network as part of their wide brand selection offering
• DaikinminorOthersBrand partnership - Daikin climate/hvac products distributed through Elmer Gruppe's 90+ branch locations
• FantiniminorOthersBrand partnership - Fantini bathroom fixtures and fittings available through Elmer Gruppe's wholesale network
• KeucominorOthersBrand partnership - Keuco bathroom accessories and fixtures distributed through Elmer Gruppe's network
• Zimmer und KellermanncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• MengecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• Schmitz HaustechnikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• Tigges+ZepkecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• Reichwald HaustechnikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• BechemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• Reinshagen & SchrödercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
• Vetter + EngelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Würth: Germany-headquartered global leader in industrial and trade supplies with direct-to-tradesperson distribution. Overlaps with Elmer in serving SHK installers but covers a far broader fastener, tool, and chemical range.
• Hagebau: Germany's largest building-materials trade cooperative, offering broader DIY and pro categories including sanitary and heating. Overlaps with Elmer on SHK SKUs but covers wider construction-product scope.
• Eurobaustoff: European building-materials wholesale cooperative serving trade and retail across multiple categories including sanitary/heating. Comparable distribution format and trade customer base, broader product scope.
• Saint-Gobain Distribution Germany: German arm of the French multinational building-products distributor, covering sanitary and broader construction materials. Same trade-customer distribution model but with a much wider portfolio.

Direct peers

• GC-Gruppe: Germany's leading SHK specialist wholesale group, also structured as a federation of regional affiliate companies serving trade professionals. Directly comparable to Elmer in scale, product mix (Sanitär, Heizung, Klima), and branch-based distribution model.
• SHT (Süd-Haustechnik): Regional SHK wholesaler in southern Germany distributing sanitary, heating, and climate products to tradespeople. Overlapping product portfolio and trade-customer model with Elmer.
• Reisser: SHK Fachgroßhandel with regional branch presence across Germany serving professional tradespeople. Directly comparable in product breadth, customer segment, and distribution model.
• Cordes & Graefe: Major SHK wholesaler in northern Germany, now affiliated with the GC-Gruppe network. Same trade-customer focus, same sanitary/heating/climate product range, and similar branch-with-pickup-market format as Elmer.
• Gienger: SHK Fachgroßhandel serving installers with sanitary, heating, and climate products across Germany. Same wholesale trade model and SK target customer base as Elmer.

Regional players

• Travis Perkins: UK-based building-materials merchant with branch network serving tradespeople. Closely comparable business model and trade customer focus, but operates in a different geography than Elmer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/elmergruppe
• Facebookfacebook.com/elmergruppe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elmer-gruppe
• Instagraminstagram.com/elmergruppe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elmer